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Many a science fiction novel of the post-war period has been used to point out the at times absurd, even dystopian, nature of modern life. George Orwell’s 1984 is the exemplar of the trend. Newspeak? Tick. Telescreens? Halfway there. The endless war? Pretty much.

But while Orwell’s vision is often used as an example of how past fiction imitates current reality, one possibly even more prescient tome often gets overlooked. John Brunner’s Stand on Zanzibar looks at overpopulation. It is a dark take on the future, looking at the social and economic impact of a fast-growing world as people struggle to cope with new technologies. It was first published in 1968 but set in 2010.

While Brunner got many things wrong, he got many others right. He predicted young people would spurn relationships for no-commitment trysts, that the US would be hit be a series of school shootings, and almost accurately predicted that the global population would hit 7bn. He even named a future US president as President Obomi.

Perhaps one of his more interesting and relevant forecasts was that all cars would be electric. To suggest such a thing in the US of the late Sixties, when the post-war demand for cars was coupled with rapid road construction across, was unthinkable. Gas, as petrol is known in the US, was the key fuel on which the industry was powered, and to suggest otherwise was on the verge of lunacy. But, although Brunner was perhaps a little early on timing, his notion that cars would be electric-powered was spot on.

Although it stopped short of sounding the death knell for petrol and diesel models, the commitment is significant. With it, Volvo has become the first major car manufacturer to say it will go fully electric – that is offering customers the ability to buy an electric version across its full range. It also said that from now on, new models will be electric-only.

Clearly, this comes on the back of an array of slightly lesser electric pledges from other major marques. It also follows the continued hype around Tesla, Elon Musk’s electric vehicle maker, whose market capitalisation has surpassed that of traditional rivals such as Ford, General Motors and BMW, despite having delivered only a fraction of the cars. But for Volvo to come out with such a public affirmation – and quite so quickly – moves things up a gear.

Volvo moves things up a gear by saying it will go electric across its whole range

The question then is not whether electric cars will take off. With such investment from across the industry, their adoption by consumers – who have a history of doing what they’re told in this field – is all but inevitable. But what is not inevitable is whether the ecosystem that surrounds the automotive industry is ready for the stark changes coming down the tracks.

In the same way that the rise of the traditional motor car required investment in petrol stations, so the electric car will need to be charged. Innovations in battery technology mean range will increase, but regular charging will remain a necessity.

Owners will be able to do this at home easily. But there will also need to be investment in a network of remote charging stations, a novelty in most towns. Some countries are ahead on this – in Japan, as of April 2016, there were more charging stations than filling stations.

In the UK, data from industry specialist Zap Map found that as of March this year, there were 6,535 charging stations compared to 8,450 petrol stations – but what that data doesn’t reveal is how many points were at each station, compared to the number of pumps per forecourt.

But it is not just charging points that are needed. A recent report by investment bank Morgan Stanley found that a typical electric car requires the same amount of power as the average British home over the course of a year. As such, power companies will need to ensure that they can cope with increased demand.

A near doubling in six months. The prices of graphite and lithium have also been boosted by the acceleration in demand each is experiencing from the motor industry. Clearly, as more and more electric cars are produced, the economies of scale will mean costs will come down, but keeping a lid on raw material prices will be vital.

These are just three issues that those involved in the push to electrification must grapple with – there are many more, ranging from environmental concerns of increased electricity generation to performance issues – if the electric revolution is to actually come off.

Of course, while all the noise was around on Wednesday it was little noticed that analysts at Goldman Sachs reduced their target share price forecast on Tesla from $190 a share to $180.

Musk’s corporate baby may have seen its shares come off since its highs above $383 in late June – falling around 13pc since then – but they remain around the $330 mark, a clear sign that, despite the concerns, the electric future, as Brunner predicted 49 years ago, is here to stay.